Harrow Diamond Peach

 -Full Sun–  Full size on Lovell, space 15′-20′ apart, self-fertile

Early-season.  Beautiful red striping over yellow background, resembles a flame.  Makes very sizable fruit if properly thinned.   Partially freestone, especially when fully ripe.  This variety is more resistant to bacterial spot and brown rot than other peaches.   A more blossom-hardy variety developed at the Harrow Research Station, so you’ll get crops in years that Red Haven will fail.   One more good thing about this peach is its 2” wide pink blossoms in the spring.  Breathtaking!

Gallon* pots $24, 2-gallon* pots $36, 4-gallon* pots $48

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I assumed that the soft, sugary, and fragile nature of peaches would make them a magnet for pests and diseases here in southern IN.   However, with planting resistant varieties and heavy pruning to keep an open tree, we have been successfully producing delicious ripe peaches with no sprays.   In 2010 I fulfilled my dream to literally gorge on tree-ripe organic peaches (wasn’t as good an idea 6 hours later!).   Peaches are quick growers and often bear fruit earlier in life (2-3 years) than most fruit trees.   They are also shorter lived—expect 15-25 years from a peach tree.   We have not noticed any Peach Leaf Curl disease on any of our peaches.   All on ‘Lovell’ seedling rootstock which makes a standard sized (14-16’) longer-lived tree. Space peaches 15-20’ apart.  An idea I have heard to dwarf peach trees is to plant 3-4 of them 4′ apart in a square or triangle and then prune them carefully around each other.  Supposedly the root competition acts to dwarf the trees, keeping them more easily managed at 8-12′.

Availability of plants varies from day to day.  We rarely carry every size/price option listed at any one time.  Please call before you come to check availability.